New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-01-01
TIE OLD YEAR DIED IN GLOOM
A BAD START PROMISED FOR THE NEW ONE


DRILLING RAIN AND sLEET-TELEGRAPH WIRES
The Chrstmas holidays came In this year in storm,
not of snow but of ran and there Is every prospect
if the forecasts OF tho Signal Service to be trusted
that they will go out In the distressing fashion,
II seemed for d while on Thursday evening when the
snow fakes which had teen falling lightly but
steadily all day slackeued and then stopped altogether
if the old year going TO vanish calmly and
peaceably BELTS the season, and the new year come
in with of the proper dignity and plcturesQneness
OF winter the air brisk and clear, the streets piled
high with snow. the seighbeIls sounding gayly. each
tree and spe and hOuse'op elttering in the dancing
sunshine. But as the mercury and the clouds
grew heavier, the light fakes turned to fog aud mist
and gathering strength by yesterday morning the
storm again through all its phases, snow, hail.
sleet and rain. The sush gathered in the streets and
the sidewalks truze melted and ffoze again, and
cices formed and reformed the dripping, slippery
pent roots and water pipes. There was scarcely a
break in the drizzling rainfall all day yesterday and
last night the Signal Service could offer nothing
but twenty iour hours of rain and wet. with just
q chance tonight of colder northw estcry winds and
clearing weather
Yesterdays storm was general one, sweeping
nOrthward from the Gut and covering the whole
Atlantic Coast region. The threatening weather OF
rain storm, willie the influence OF the cold. north
western winds spent itself here in furries OF snow
The body OF the storm drted the city Yesterday
morning in heavy shower of hail and see which fell
away gradually into mist and drzze during the
afternoon But, once here nothing could drlye inc the
heavy bank Of cloud and tg away. and though tho
gathered much force all the evening there
was steady dripping 0n the soaked roofs and sloppy
payements that promised badly for the customary
bio wing of tnhorns and general hauty of New Years
morning. The total rainfall up 10 q clock last night
about 80 OF an inch. The temperature ranged all
day between 20 and 30, amost reaching the freezing
point. however about p. m. AZ Boston the tempor-
a;urc Il. aud at Albany iJ1.
There general discomfort in this city on account
o the storm. he cold was lot butter but the AIR was
heavy with dampness and was keen and raw. The
WIND Dlew n "hOrtheIstcr' most of the time and
umbrellas were only iancicd protection against this
peculiarly dlsagrecahlc 4" combine of the clements
Walking burden downtown. where the thon-
sands oi pcdcstI Iiaus had ground the SNOW, ice and
mud into sticky. slppcry eu-h and could cross
a ctowued slcet like broadway only alter dozen
dctours in the Oi uDmauagtab.c cars horses and
wagons Much bad langul, &C. was spilled and many
hats and umhrcll smashed in these constant stTt Z
giles. Uptown the lee had hardened on the house
stoops and sidewalks. aud journey through the less
tIoddru cross sttcets-eycept where some chaiao. g
householder had sprnkcd -dwdust ashes before bis
Joor-was pdulu and hazardous Ia the extreme.
The -ircCt tear lines fairly well schedule mc
though most ni the cars had only tNo horses mp and
do"n The tracks were slippery add where the snow
al melted the wneelr smoothly IA IN ordinary
wet weather. la some OF the streets the -nOw was
shnyclled into heaps. ready 10 be ctrcd OF. hut most
o the companies did not take the iron lc even 10
run snow piou- hs over the lines. The Elevated Rail
road tram. were bcuind umo during the greater part
o the morning. but ran wei enough at night. Meny
tIaIu- The Peuussy Rail oAC 100. and on tho
Acw-lork Central ~crc reported from one TO two
hours Late. The mails from New In land and New
York State kept hdc. about trai length OF time
Mails from ST. Louis and points further csi were four
hours late.
The Interruption to the tclegfaphc ssr, ice by Tho
storm was rs. Nearly all the southern lines from
NcW-Yurk Vci' down last ui.ht and those TO points
80 near - Thiladc. pha aud Baltimore EeTa @orking
badly II was sad at the Western Union Ja.ce that
no repairs could lc made before today and that hus
ness wA- much ichuGhaDd. No dctals OF couTse,
could be gwen and there Were 40 m,'ans OF settling
where the most scr,ou~ difficulty Wa. The cahle
service was DELAYED bccah-c of the slowncsa With
which the land lines in England are being repaired
after the storm carly in the week. The connect on
with Boston and points 10 tho North ana ia New
England generally not threatened asst night.